WO2020195175A1 - 基板処理装置およびその搬送制御方法 - Google Patents

基板処理装置およびその搬送制御方法 Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2020195175A1
WO2020195175A1 PCT/JP2020/004018 JP2020004018W WO2020195175A1 WO 2020195175 A1 WO2020195175 A1 WO 2020195175A1 JP 2020004018 W JP2020004018 W JP 2020004018W WO 2020195175 A1 WO2020195175 A1 WO 2020195175A1
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Prior art keywords
substrate
liquid
processing unit
liquid film
processing
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PCT/JP2020/004018
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English (en)
French (fr)
Japanese (ja)
Inventor
啓之 河原
橋本　光治
憲幸 菊本
周武 墨
Original Assignee
株式会社Ｓｃｒｅｅｎホールディングス
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Priority to KR1020247005771A priority Critical patent/KR20240027875A/ko
Priority to CN202080020635.1A priority patent/CN113557591A/zh
Priority to KR1020217029410A priority patent/KR102658643B1/ko
Publication of WO2020195175A1 publication Critical patent/WO2020195175A1/ja

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H01L21/67739—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations into and out of processing chamber
    • H01L21/67745—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations into and out of processing chamber characterized by movements or sequence of movements of transfer devices
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
    • B25J11/00—Manipulators not otherwise provided for
    • B25J11/0095—Manipulators transporting wafers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
    • B25J19/00—Accessories fitted to manipulators, e.g. for monitoring, for viewing; Safety devices combined with or specially adapted for use in connection with manipulators
    • B25J19/02—Sensing devices
    • B25J19/021—Optical sensing devices
    • B25J19/023—Optical sensing devices including video camera means
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
    • B25J9/00—Programme-controlled manipulators
    • B25J9/16—Programme controls
    • B25J9/1679—Programme controls characterised by the tasks executed
    • B25J9/1692—Calibration of manipulator
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/027—Making masks on semiconductor bodies for further photolithographic processing not provided for in group H01L21/18 or H01L21/34
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
    • H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
    • H01L21/30—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26
    • H01L21/302—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26 to change their surface-physical characteristics or shape, e.g. etching, polishing, cutting
    • H01L21/304—Mechanical treatment, e.g. grinding, polishing, cutting
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
    • H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
    • H01L21/30—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26
    • H01L21/302—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26 to change their surface-physical characteristics or shape, e.g. etching, polishing, cutting
    • H01L21/306—Chemical or electrical treatment, e.g. electrolytic etching
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
    • H01L21/67017—Apparatus for fluid treatment
    • H01L21/67028—Apparatus for fluid treatment for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like
    • H01L21/67034—Apparatus for fluid treatment for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like for drying
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
    • H01L21/67017—Apparatus for fluid treatment
    • H01L21/67028—Apparatus for fluid treatment for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like
    • H01L21/6704—Apparatus for fluid treatment for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like for wet cleaning or washing
    • H01L21/67051—Apparatus for fluid treatment for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like for wet cleaning or washing using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67242—Apparatus for monitoring, sorting or marking
    • H01L21/67253—Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H01L21/67739—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations into and out of processing chamber
    • H01L21/67742—Mechanical parts of transfer devices
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/683—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping
    • H01L21/687—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. chucks, clamps or pinches
    • H01L21/68707—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. chucks, clamps or pinches the wafers being placed on a robot blade, or gripped by a gripper for conveyance

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for transporting a substrate between a plurality of processing units, and particularly to control of transport in a state where a liquid film is formed on the surface of the substrate.
  • Patent Document 1 in the transfer between processing systems in which the substrate is treated with a liquid, the substrate is immersed in the liquid stored in the transport tray or is filled on the entire upper surface. It is transported in a state of being.
  • a part of the surface of the substrate may be exposed to the surrounding atmosphere during the transfer due to acceleration / deceleration and vibration on the transfer path, reduction due to volatilization of the liquid, and the like. This causes product defects.
  • exposure of the surface immediately causes pattern collapse, so even a short time is not acceptable.
  • the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in a substrate processing apparatus that conveys a substrate with the substrate surface covered with a liquid film, it prevents the substrate surface from being exposed due to vibration during transportation, volatilization of liquid, or the like.
  • the purpose is to provide a technology that can be used.
  • a first processing unit that supplies a liquid to the substrate and covers the surface of the substrate with a liquid film, and the substrate that supports the liquid film.
  • a transport mechanism that transports the liquid film, a second processing unit that receives the substrate transported by the transport mechanism and executes a predetermined process, an imaging unit that images the liquid film formed on the surface of the substrate, and the above.
  • the transport mechanism is based on the difference between a plurality of images captured by the imaging unit at different times from the formation of the liquid film to the delivery of the substrate to the second processing unit by the transfer mechanism. It is equipped with a control unit that controls the operation of.
  • a first processing unit that supplies a liquid to the substrate and covers the surface of the substrate with a liquid film and the substrate that supports the liquid film are received and a predetermined process is executed.
  • the liquid is used in a transfer control method for a substrate processing apparatus having a second processing unit and a transfer mechanism for transporting the substrate between the first processing unit and the second processing unit.
  • the liquid film is imaged at different times from the time the film is formed until the substrate is carried into the second processing unit, and the operation of the transport mechanism is based on the difference between the plurality of images captured. To control.
  • the liquid film on the surface of the substrate being transported is imaged, and the operation of the transport mechanism is controlled based on the difference between the images captured at different times. Therefore, it is possible to detect a change in the state of the liquid film on the substrate surface and reflect it in the transfer control. For example, it is possible to suppress the transport speed in order to reduce vibration, or to replenish the liquid if the thickness of the liquid film is reduced. As a result, the substrate surface can be stably covered with the liquid film and transported, and the substrate surface can be prevented from being exposed.
  • the substrate can be conveyed in a stable state of the liquid film on the surface of the substrate. Is. This makes it possible to prevent the substrate surface from being exposed due to vibration during transportation, volatilization of the liquid, or the like.
  • FIG. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. More specifically, FIG. 1A is a plan view showing a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a side view showing a substrate processing apparatus 1. It should be noted that these figures do not show the appearance of the device, but are schematic views showing the internal structure of the device in an easy-to-understand manner by excluding the outer wall panel of the device and other partial configurations.
  • the substrate processing device 1 is, for example, an apparatus installed in a clean room for performing a predetermined process on a substrate.
  • the "board" in the present embodiment includes a semiconductor substrate, a glass substrate for a photomask, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display, a glass substrate for plasma display, a substrate for FED (Field Emission Display), a substrate for an optical disk, and a magnetic disk.
  • Various substrates such as substrates and substrates for photomagnetic disks can be applied.
  • a substrate processing apparatus mainly used for processing a semiconductor substrate will be described as an example with reference to the drawings. However, it is also applicable to the processing of various substrates exemplified above.
  • the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a substrate processing unit 10 that processes the substrate S, and an indexer unit 20 that is coupled to the substrate processing unit 10.
  • the indexer unit 20 includes a container holding unit 21 and an indexer robot 22.
  • the indexer unit 20 can hold a plurality of containers C for accommodating the substrate S.
  • a FOUP Front Opening Unified Pod
  • SMIF Standard Mechanical Interface
  • OC Open Cassette
  • the indexer robot 22 accesses the container C held by the container holding portion 21 to take out the unprocessed substrate S from the container C or store the processed substrate in the container C.
  • a plurality of substrates S are housed in each container C in a substantially horizontal posture.
  • the indexer robot 22 includes a base portion 221, an articulated arm 222, and a hand 223.
  • the base portion 221 is fixed to the device housing.
  • the articulated arm 222 is rotatably provided around a vertical axis with respect to the base portion 221.
  • the hand 223 is attached to the tip of the articulated arm 222.
  • the hand 223 has a structure in which the substrate S can be placed and held on the upper surface thereof. Since an indexer robot having such an articulated arm and a hand for holding a substrate is known, detailed description thereof will be omitted.
  • the substrate processing unit 10 includes a center robot 15 arranged substantially in the center in a plan view, and a plurality of substrate processing units arranged so as to surround the center robot 15. Specifically, a plurality of (four in this example) substrate processing units 11A, 12A, 13A, and 14A are arranged facing the space in which the center robot 15 is arranged. Each of these substrate processing units 11A to 14A executes a predetermined process on the substrate S. When these processing units have the same function, parallel processing of a plurality of boards becomes possible. It is also possible to combine processing units having different functions so that different processes are sequentially executed on one substrate.
  • the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is used for a series of treatments in which the substrate S is wet-treated with a predetermined treatment liquid and then the substrate S is dried.
  • two of the four substrate processing units, 11A and 12A are responsible for wet processing on the substrate S, and internally have a configuration for enabling this.
  • the other two substrate processing units 13A and 14A carry out a process (drying process) of removing the residual liquid from the substrate S after the wet process and drying the substrate S, and internally have a configuration for enabling this. I have.
  • the substrate processing main body that executes the processing on the substrate S is housed in a processing chamber provided with an openable / closable shutter on the side surface facing the center robot 15. That is, the substrate processing unit 11A has a processing chamber 110 and a shutter 111 provided on the side surface of the processing chamber 110 facing the center robot 15.
  • the shutter 111 is provided so as to cover an opening (not shown) provided on the side surface of the processing chamber 110 facing the center robot 15.
  • the shutter 111 is opened, the opening is exposed, and the substrate S can be carried in and out through the opening. Further, when the processing for the substrate S is executed in the processing chamber 110, the shutter 111 is closed to block the atmosphere in the processing chamber 110 from the outside.
  • the substrate processing unit 12A has a processing chamber 120 and a shutter 121 provided on the side surface of the processing chamber 120 facing the center robot 15.
  • the substrate processing unit 13A has a processing chamber 130 and a shutter 131 provided on a side surface of the processing chamber 130 facing the center robot 15.
  • the substrate processing unit 14A has a processing chamber 140 and a shutter 141 provided on the side surface of the processing chamber 140 facing the center robot 15.
  • a set of substrate processing units arranged in the horizontal direction in this way is arranged in a plurality of stages (two stages in this example) in the vertical direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 1B, the substrate processing unit 11B is provided below the substrate processing unit 11A.
  • the configuration and function of the substrate processing unit 11B are the same as those of the substrate processing unit 11A.
  • a substrate processing unit 12B having the same configuration and the same function as the substrate processing unit 12A is provided below the substrate processing unit 12A.
  • a substrate processing unit 13B (FIG. 2) is provided below the substrate processing unit 13A, and a substrate processing unit (not shown) is also provided below the substrate processing unit 14A.
  • the number of stages of the substrate processing unit is not limited to 2 illustrated here and is arbitrary. Further, the number of substrate processing units arranged per stage is not limited to the above.
  • FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration and installation environment of the center robot.
  • the center robot 15 can receive the unprocessed substrate S from the indexer robot 22, and can deliver the processed substrate S to the indexer robot 22. More specifically, the center robot 15 includes a base portion 151, an elevating portion 152, a rotating portion 153, a telescopic arm 154, and a hand 155.
  • the base portion 151 is fixed to the bottom frame of the substrate processing portion 10 and supports each configuration of the center robot 15.
  • the elevating portion 152 is attached to the base portion 151, and the rotating portion 153 is attached to the upper part of the elevating portion 152.
  • the elevating part 152 can be expanded and contracted in the vertical direction, and the rotating part 153 is moved up and down by this expansion and contraction movement.
  • the rotating portion 153 is rotatable around a vertical axis with respect to the elevating portion 152.
  • the base of the telescopic arm 154 is attached to the rotating portion 153, and the hand 155 is attached to the tip of the telescopic arm 154.
  • the telescopic arm 154 expands and contracts in a predetermined range in the horizontal direction.
  • the hand 155 has a structure in which the substrate S can be placed and held on the upper surface thereof, and the substrate S can be delivered to and from the hand 223 of the indexer robot 22. Since a hand mechanism having such a structure is known, detailed description thereof will be omitted.
  • the substrate S held by the hand 155 can be moved in the horizontal direction.
  • the direction of horizontal movement of the substrate S can be defined by rotating the rotating portion 153 with respect to the elevating portion 152.
  • the height of the substrate S, that is, the vertical position can be adjusted by raising and lowering the rotating portion 153 by the elevating portion 152.
  • a support member 156 extending upward is attached to the rotating portion 153.
  • the support member 156 is attached to the side surface of the rotating portion 153 on the side surface opposite to the extension direction of the expansion / contraction arm 154 so as not to interfere with the expansion / contraction of the hand 155.
  • a CCD camera 157 is attached to the upper end of the support member 156.
  • the optical axis direction of the CCD camera 157 is slightly downward from the horizontal direction, and the substrate S held by the hand 155 is viewed from diagonally above and captured in the imaging field of view. As a result, the upper surface of the substrate S is imaged.
  • the imaging data is transmitted to the control unit 90.
  • the rotating portion 153 is provided with a replenishing liquid nozzle 158.
  • the replenisher nozzle 158 opens downward above the substrate S held by the hand 155.
  • the replenisher liquid nozzle 158 is connected to a low surface tension liquid supply unit (described later) (not shown), and supplies the low surface tension liquid supplied from the low surface tension liquid supply unit to the substrate S as needed.
  • the processing for the substrate S is executed as follows.
  • the untreated substrate S is housed in the container C placed on the container holding portion 21.
  • the indexer robot 22 takes out one unprocessed substrate S from the container C and hands it over to the center robot 15.
  • the center robot 15 carries the received substrate S into a substrate processing unit that executes processing on the substrate S.
  • the center robot 15 adjusts the height of the rotating portion 153 by the elevating portion 152 to process the substrate S held by the hand 155.
  • the shutter 111 is opened and the telescopic arm 154 extends toward the opening on the side surface of the processing chamber 110, the substrate S is carried into the processing chamber 110.
  • the shutter 111 is closed and the processing on the substrate S is executed in the processing chamber 110.
  • the substrate S can be carried into another substrate processing unit in the same manner.
  • the telescopic arm 154 enters the processing chamber 110 in which the shutter 111 is opened and the processed substrate S is taken out.
  • the taken-out substrate S may be carried into another substrate processing unit to execute a new process, or may be returned to the container C via the indexer robot 22. The specific processing sequence in this embodiment will be described in detail later.
  • the center robot 15 is installed in the transport space TS whose sides and upper side are separated from the external space by the partition wall 101.
  • the substrate processing unit 11A is attached to the side portion of the partition wall 101 so that the side surface of the processing chamber 110 provided with the shutter 111 faces the transport space TS. The same applies to other substrate processing units.
  • the substrate processing device 1 is provided with a control unit 90 for controlling the operation of each part of the device.
  • the control unit 90 includes at least a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 91 and a memory 92.
  • the CPU 91 causes each part of the device to execute a predetermined operation by executing a control program prepared in advance.
  • the memory 92 stores a control program to be executed by the CPU 91, data generated by the execution, and the like.
  • the operations of the indexer robot 22 and the center robot 15 described above, the operations related to the opening and closing of the shutter in each processing chamber, various processing on the substrate S, and the like are controlled by the CPU 91 that executes the control program.
  • FIG. 3A and 3B are diagrams showing a substrate processing unit that performs wet processing. More specifically, FIG. 3A is a diagram showing the configuration of the substrate processing unit 11A, and FIG. 3B is a diagram for explaining the operation of the substrate processing unit 11A. Although the configuration of the substrate processing unit 11A will be described here, the configurations of the other substrate processing units 11B, 12A and the like that execute the wet processing are basically the same.
  • the substrate processing unit 11A includes a wet processing unit 30 as a substrate processing main body in the processing chamber 110.
  • the wet treatment unit 30 supplies a treatment liquid to the upper surface of the substrate S to perform surface treatment, cleaning, and the like of the substrate S. Further, in order to prevent the upper surface of the substrate S carried out after the wet treatment from being exposed to the surrounding atmosphere, the wet treatment unit 30 covers the upper surface of the substrate S after the wet treatment with a liquid film of a low surface tension liquid. The liquid film formation process is also performed.
  • the wet processing unit 30 includes a substrate holding unit 31, a splash guard 32, a processing liquid supply unit 33, and a low surface tension liquid supply unit 34. These operations are controlled by the control unit 90.
  • the substrate holding portion 31 has a disk-shaped spin chuck 311 having a diameter substantially equal to that of the substrate S, and a plurality of chuck pins 312 are provided on the peripheral edge of the spin chuck 311. When the chuck pin 312 abuts on the peripheral edge of the substrate S to support the substrate S, the spin chuck 311 can hold the substrate S in a horizontal posture while being separated from the upper surface thereof.
  • the spin chuck 311 is supported so that the upper surface is horizontal by a rotary support shaft 313 extending downward from the central portion of the lower surface thereof.
  • the rotary support shaft 313 is rotatably supported by a rotary mechanism 314 attached to the bottom of the processing chamber 110.
  • the rotation mechanism 314 has a built-in rotation motor (not shown), and when the rotation motor rotates in response to a control command from the control unit 90, the spin chuck 311 directly connected to the rotation support shaft 313 is indicated by a one-point chain line. Rotate around the vertical axis. In FIGS. 3A and 3B, the vertical direction is the vertical direction. As a result, the substrate S is rotated around the vertical axis while maintaining the horizontal posture.
  • a splash guard 32 is provided so as to surround the substrate holding portion 31 from the side.
  • the splash guard 32 has a substantially tubular cup 321 provided so as to cover the peripheral edge portion of the spin chuck 311 and a liquid receiving portion 322 provided below the outer peripheral portion of the cup 321.
  • the cup 321 moves up and down in response to a control command from the control unit 90.
  • the cup 321 has a lower position in which the upper end of the cup 321 is lowered below the peripheral edge of the substrate S held by the spin chuck 311 as shown in FIG. 3A and an upper end of the cup 321 as shown in FIG. 3B. It moves up and down with and from an upper position located above the peripheral edge of the substrate S.
  • the cup 321 When the cup 321 is in the lower position, as shown in FIG. 3A, the substrate S held by the spin chuck 311 is exposed to the outside of the cup 321. Therefore, for example, it is possible to prevent the cup 321 from becoming an obstacle when the substrate S is carried in and out of the spin chuck 311.
  • the cup 321 when the cup 321 is in the upper position, as shown in FIG. 3B, it surrounds the peripheral edge portion of the substrate S held by the spin chuck 311.
  • the processing liquid that is shaken off from the peripheral edge of the substrate S when the liquid is supplied which will be described later, is prevented from being scattered in the processing chamber 110, and the processing liquid can be reliably recovered. That is, the droplets of the processing liquid that are shaken off from the peripheral edge of the substrate S by the rotation of the substrate S adhere to the inner wall of the cup 321 and flow downward, and are collected by the liquid receiving portion 322 arranged below the cup 321. It is collected.
  • a plurality of stages of cups may be provided concentrically.
  • a rotation support shaft 332 is rotatably provided with respect to a base 331 fixed to the processing chamber 110, and a nozzle 334 is further provided at the tip of an arm 333 extending horizontally from the rotation support shaft 332. It has an attached structure.
  • the arm 333 swings as the rotation support shaft 332 rotates in response to a control command from the control unit 90.
  • the nozzle 334 at the tip of the arm 333 moves between the retracted position retracted from above the substrate S to the side as shown in FIG. 3A and the processing position above the substrate S as shown in FIG. 3B.
  • the nozzle 334 is connected to a processing liquid supply unit (not shown) provided in the control unit 90.
  • a processing liquid supply unit (not shown) provided in the control unit 90.
  • the treatment liquid is discharged from the nozzle 334 toward the substrate S.
  • the spin chuck 311 rotates at a relatively low speed to rotate the substrate S, and the nozzle 33 positioned above the rotation center of the substrate S supplies the processing liquid Lq.
  • the upper surface Sa of the substrate S is treated with the treatment liquid Lq.
  • the treatment liquid Lq a liquid having various functions such as a developing solution, an etching solution, a cleaning solution, and a rinsing solution can be used, and the composition thereof is arbitrary. Further, the treatment may be executed by combining a plurality of types of treatment liquids.
  • the low surface tension liquid supply unit 34 also has a configuration corresponding to the treatment liquid supply unit 33. That is, the low surface tension liquid supply unit 34 has a base 341, a rotation support shaft 342, an arm 343, a nozzle 344, and the like, and these configurations are the same as those corresponding to those in the processing liquid supply unit 33. ..
  • the arm 343 swings as the rotation support shaft 342 rotates in response to a control command from the control unit 90.
  • the nozzle 344 at the tip of the arm 343 supplies a low surface tension liquid for forming a liquid film on the upper surface Sa of the substrate S after the wet treatment.
  • the wet substrate S after the wet treatment has entered the pattern in the process of drying.
  • the surface tension of the liquid may cause pattern collapse.
  • a method for preventing this a method of replacing the liquid in the pattern with a liquid having a lower surface tension and then drying, and a sublimation drying method in which the upper surface Sa of the substrate is covered with a solid sublimation substance to sublimate the sublimation substance.
  • the liquid covering the upper surface Sa of the substrate is preferably a liquid having a lower surface tension than the treatment liquid from the viewpoint of more reliably preventing pattern collapse due to surface tension.
  • a liquid having such properties is referred to as a "low surface tension liquid”.
  • the upper surface Sa of the substrate is covered with a liquid film of a low surface tension liquid for transportation.
  • the liquid film is formed as follows. As shown in FIG. 3B, the low surface tension liquid Lq supplied from the low surface tension liquid supply unit (not shown) provided in the control unit 90 is discharged from the nozzle 343 in a state where the substrate S is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed. By being discharged, the upper surface Sa of the substrate is covered with the liquid film LF of the low surface tension liquid.
  • the low surface tension liquid it is desirable that the liquid has good miscibility with the treatment liquid used for the wet treatment and has a lower surface tension than this.
  • the treatment liquid contains water as a main component, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) can be preferably used. In this way, the entire upper surface Sa of the substrate is covered with the liquid film LF of the low surface tension liquid.
  • IPA isopropyl alcohol
  • a CCD camera 351 and an illumination light source 352 are arranged above the substrate S held by the spin chuck 311.
  • the optical axis direction of the CCD camera 351 is slightly downward from the horizontal direction. Therefore, the CCD camera 351 has a bird's-eye view of the substrate S held by the spin chuck 311 from diagonally above and is included in the imaging field of view.
  • the illumination light source 352 irradiates the illumination light for imaging toward the substrate S. As a result, the upper surface of the substrate S is imaged.
  • the imaging data is transmitted to the control unit 90.
  • the substrate S carried out from the substrate processing unit 11A with the upper surface Sa covered with the liquid film LF is conveyed to the substrate processing unit 13A and undergoes drying treatment. That is, the substrate processing unit 13A has a function of performing a drying process of removing the liquid film LF formed on the upper surface Sa of the substrate S carried in the horizontal posture and drying the substrate S as the substrate processing. As the drying treatment, supercritical drying is applied in which the substrate S is covered with a supercritical fluid and then the supercritical fluid is vaporized and removed (without going through a liquid phase).
  • the configuration of the substrate processing unit 13A will be described here, the configurations of the other substrate processing units 13B, 14A, etc. that execute the drying process are basically the same.
  • FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a substrate processing unit that executes supercritical drying processing. More specifically, FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing the internal structure of the substrate processing unit 13A. Since the principle of supercritical drying treatment and the basic configuration required for it are known, detailed description thereof will be omitted here.
  • the substrate processing unit 13A includes a high-pressure chamber 130, and a drying processing unit 40 as an execution body of the drying processing is provided inside the high-pressure chamber 130.
  • a stage 41 for mounting the substrate S is installed in the high pressure chamber 130.
  • the stage 41 holds the substrate S whose upper surface Sa is covered with a liquid film by suction holding or mechanical holding. Since the high pressure chamber 130 has a high pressure, the internal structure is relatively simple to withstand the high pressure, and a member capable of withstanding the high pressure is used.
  • a rotary support shaft 42 extends downward in the center of the lower surface of the stage 41.
  • the rotary support shaft 42 is inserted through the bottom surface of the high pressure chamber 130 via a high pressure seal rotation introduction mechanism 43.
  • the rotation shaft 431 of the high-pressure seal rotation introduction mechanism 43 is connected to the rotation mechanism 432. Therefore, when the rotation mechanism 432 operates in response to the control command from the control unit 90, the substrate S rotates together with the stage 41 around the rotation axis in the vertical direction indicated by the alternate long and short dash line.
  • a fluid dispersion member 44 is provided above the stage 41 inside the high pressure chamber 130.
  • the fluid dispersion member 44 is provided with a plurality of through holes 442 that penetrate vertically through the flat plate-shaped closing plate 441.
  • Carbon dioxide gas is supplied from the carbon dioxide supply unit 45 to the upper part of the high-pressure chamber 130 as needed, and the carbon dioxide gas is rectified by the fluid dispersion member 44 and uniformly supplied from above the substrate S toward the substrate S. Will be done.
  • nitrogen is introduced into the high pressure chamber 130 from the nitrogen supply unit 46 as needed.
  • Nitrogen is used in various forms as required, that is, as a gas at room temperature or a temperature rise, or as a cooled and liquefied liquid nitrogen, such as purging the gas in the high-pressure chamber 130 or cooling the inside of the chamber. It is supplied according to the purpose.
  • a discharge mechanism 48 is connected to the high pressure chamber 130.
  • the discharge mechanism 48 has a function of discharging various fluids such as gas and liquid introduced into the high pressure chamber 130.
  • the discharge mechanism 48 includes piping, a valve, a pump, and the like for this purpose. This allows the fluid in the high pressure chamber 130 to be expelled quickly if necessary.
  • control unit 90 has a configuration for detecting the pressure and temperature in the high pressure chamber 130 and a configuration for controlling these to a predetermined value. That is, the control unit 90 has a function of controlling the pressure and temperature in the high pressure chamber 130 to predetermined target values.
  • the substrate processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that sequentially executes a wet treatment and a drying treatment on the substrate S.
  • the main flow of this process is as follows. That is, after the substrate S is conveyed to the substrate processing unit that executes the wet treatment and is treated with the treatment liquid, a liquid film is formed by the low surface tension liquid, and this substrate S is applied to the substrate processing unit that executes the drying treatment. It is conveyed to remove the liquid film and the substrate S is dried.
  • the specific processing contents will be described below.
  • the substrate processing unit 11A executes the wet treatment and the substrate processing unit 13A executes the drying treatment on one substrate S.
  • the combination of the substrate processing unit that executes the wet treatment and the substrate processing unit that executes the drying treatment is not limited to this, and is arbitrary.
  • the substrate processing unit 11A or the like that executes the wet treatment is referred to as a “wet treatment unit”
  • the substrate treatment unit 13A or the like that executes the drying treatment is referred to as a “wet treatment unit”. It may be referred to as a "drying processing unit".
  • FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of this substrate processing device. This operation is realized by the CPU 91 executing a control program prepared in advance to cause each part of the device to perform a predetermined operation.
  • the indexer robot 22 takes out one unprocessed substrate S from one of the containers C containing the unprocessed substrate (step S101). Then, the substrate S is handed over from the indexer robot 22 to the center robot 15 (step S102). The center robot 15 carries the substrate S into the substrate processing unit (wet processing unit) 11A that executes the wet processing (step S103).
  • the substrate processing unit 11A into which the substrate S has been carried performs wet processing on the substrate S (step S104).
  • the content of the wet treatment is that the treatment liquid is supplied to the substrate S to process and clean the upper surface Sa of the substrate.
  • a liquid film forming process for forming a liquid film LF with a low surface tension liquid is executed on the substrate S after the wet treatment (step S105).
  • the substrate S on which the liquid film LF is formed on the upper surface Sa by the liquid film forming process is taken out from the substrate processing unit 11A by the center robot 15 and carried into the substrate processing unit (drying processing unit) 13A for executing the drying process. .. That is, the transfer process of transferring the substrate S from the substrate processing unit 11A to the substrate processing unit 13A is performed (step S106). Since various modes can be considered as the transfer process, they will be described in detail later.
  • the substrate processing unit 13A into which the substrate S has been carried executes a drying treatment for removing the adhering liquid to the substrate S and drying the substrate S (step S107).
  • a supercritical drying process using a supercritical fluid is executed. That is, carbon dioxide is introduced into the high-pressure chamber 130 from the carbon dioxide supply unit 45, and the carbon dioxide is liquefied when the pressure inside the chamber is sufficiently increased.
  • liquid carbon dioxide may be introduced into the high pressure chamber 130.
  • the liquid carbon dioxide covers the upper surface Sa of the substrate. Liquefied carbon dioxide dissolves organic solvents well. Therefore, the liquid such as IPA remaining in the pattern is replaced by liquid carbon dioxide.
  • the temperature and pressure in the high-pressure chamber 130 are adjusted to conditions that bring carbon dioxide into a supercritical state.
  • carbon dioxide in the high-pressure chamber 130 becomes a supercritical fluid.
  • a fluid in a supercritical state has extremely high fluidity and low surface tension.
  • the supercritical fluid generated from carbon dioxide dissolves organic solvents such as IPA and acetone well. Therefore, the supercritical fluid of carbon dioxide penetrates deep into the fine pattern and carries away the remaining organic solvent component from the pattern.
  • One of the reasons why carbon dioxide is suitable for supercritical drying treatment is that it becomes supercritical at relatively low pressure and low temperature.
  • the inside of the high-pressure chamber 130 is rapidly depressurized, so that the supercritical fluid is directly vaporized and removed from the substrate S without passing through the liquid phase.
  • the substrate S is in a dry state with the liquid component completely removed.
  • the problem of pattern collapse due to the surface tension of the liquid in the pattern is avoided by replacing the liquid component remaining in the pattern with the supercritical fluid and vaporizing the supercritical fluid directly.
  • the processed substrate S is taken out from the substrate processing unit 13A by the center robot 15 (step S108).
  • the removed substrate S after processing is delivered from the center robot 15 to the indexer robot 22 (step S109).
  • the indexer robot 22 accommodates the substrate S in one of the containers C (step S110).
  • the container C in which the processed substrate S is housed may be the container in which the untreated board S is housed, or may be another container.
  • step S111 If there is a substrate to be further processed (YES in step S111), the process returns to step S101, and the above processing is executed for the next substrate S. If there is no substrate to be processed (NO in step S111), the processing ends.
  • processing for a plurality of substrates is executed in parallel. That is, while one substrate S is being processed in one substrate processing unit, at least one of the transfer of other substrates by the indexer robot 22 and the center robot 15 and the substrate processing by the other substrate processing unit at the same time. It is possible to execute one in parallel.
  • the indexer robot 22 can newly access the container C and take out another substrate. .. Further, for example, after one substrate S is carried into the substrate processing unit 11A in step S103, the center robot 15 carries another substrate into another substrate processing unit, or is processed by another substrate processing unit. It is possible to carry out the board.
  • the processing on a plurality of boards can be performed in parallel by appropriately adjusting the operation sequence of each part of the device for processing each board S. And proceed. By doing so, it is possible to improve the processing throughput of the substrate processing apparatus 1 as a whole.
  • the specific operation sequence needs to be appropriately determined according to the processing specifications, the time required for each of the above steps, the possibility of simultaneous processing, and the like.
  • the purpose of the transfer process is to carry out the substrate S on which the liquid film LF is formed on the upper surface Sa from the substrate processing unit 11A and transfer it to the substrate processing unit 13A while maintaining the liquid film LF, that is, without exposing the upper surface Sa of the substrate. It is to be.
  • images captured by the CCD camera 351 provided in the substrate processing unit 11A and the CCD camera 157 provided in the center robot 15 are used.
  • FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the first aspect of the transfer process.
  • the substrate S immediately after the liquid film forming process is imaged by the CCD camera 351 (step S201).
  • the liquid film LF formed by covering the upper surface Sa of the substrate is actually imaged. It is desirable that the entire liquid film LF covering the upper surface Sa of the substrate is captured in the image.
  • the captured image data is stored in the memory 92 of the control unit 90 as reference data.
  • the hand 155 of the center robot 15 enters the processing chamber 110 to hold the substrate S (step S202), and the hand 155 moves horizontally to start the transfer of the substrate S (step S203).
  • the liquid film LF of the upper surface Sa of the substrate is imaged at any time by the CCD camera 157 provided in the center robot 15 (step S204). It is desirable that the position, size, and elevation angle of the substrate S occupied in the image are the same between the image captured by the CCD camera 157 and the image captured by the CCD camera 351.
  • the image obtained by imaging is compared with the reference image captured first. That is, the difference between the image newly captured by the CCD camera 157 and the image captured by the CCD camera 351 in the processing chamber 110 is obtained (step S205).
  • the absolute value of the difference for each pixel between both images is integrated in the image, and it is determined whether or not there is a significant difference depending on whether or not the value exceeds a predetermined reference amount (threshold value). Can be done.
  • the difference in the thickness of the liquid film appears as a difference in the reflectance on the surface and the occurrence of interference fringes. Such a difference can be detected by obtaining the difference between the images.
  • the main changes that can occur in the liquid film during transportation are the shaking of the liquid level due to vibration and the decrease in the amount of liquid due to liquid falling or volatilization. For these, it is effective to replenish the substrate S with a low surface tension liquid. Therefore, when there is a significant change in the liquid film (YES in step S206), a predetermined amount of low surface tension liquid is replenished from the replenishment liquid nozzle 158 provided in the center robot 15 (step S207). This makes it possible to prevent the liquid film from breaking due to a decrease in the amount of liquid. If no significant change is observed (NO in step S206), no liquid replenishment is performed.
  • step S208 The above steps S204 to S207 are repeated until the substrate S reaches the target position, that is, the inside of the high-pressure chamber 130 of the substrate processing unit 13A (NO in step S208). Therefore, while the substrate S is transferred, the state of the liquid film LF is constantly monitored, and if necessary, the low surface tension liquid is replenished. As a result, the liquid film on the substrate S is stably maintained.
  • the target position is reached (YES in step S208)
  • the substrate S is transferred from the center robot 15 to the stage 41 in the high pressure chamber 130 (step S209), whereby the transfer of the substrate S is completed.
  • FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the second aspect of the transfer process.
  • step S221 is provided instead of step S207 in the first aspect. Since the processing contents other than this are the same as those in the first aspect, the same processing is designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.
  • step S221 executed in the second aspect instead of the liquid replenishment in the first aspect, the transfer speed of the substrate S by the center robot 15 is changed.
  • the liquid in a case where the low surface tension liquid drops from the substrate S due to vibration or sudden acceleration / deceleration, the liquid can be suppressed by transporting the substrate S more slowly. That is, in this case, the transport speed may be reduced.
  • the transport speed may be reduced.
  • the decrease in the amount of liquid due to the volatilization of the liquid appears as a decrease in the film thickness of the liquid film in the entire substrate S. In such a case, it is preferable to increase the transport speed and complete the transport in a shorter time.
  • the replenisher nozzle 158 can be omitted.
  • FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a third aspect of the transfer process.
  • FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a substrate processing operation including this transfer processing.
  • the operation itself of the substrate processing also needs to be modified due to the difference in the contents of the transfer processing.
  • the same reference numerals are given to the processes having the same contents as those described above, and the description thereof will be omitted.
  • an exception flag for differentiating the subsequent processes is set (step). S231). In this case, the transfer of the substrate S is interrupted.
  • step S121 for determining whether or not the exception flag is set is added after the transfer processing (step S106). If the flag is set (YES in step S121), the center robot 15 returns the substrate S to the wet processing unit 11A (step S122). At the same time, the exception flag is reset (step S123). Then, the liquid film forming process (step S105) is executed again in the wet processing unit 11A, and then the transfer process is executed again (step S106).
  • the liquid film LF on the substrate S is changed, the liquid film LF is reformed by the substrate processing unit 11A. If the exception flag is not set (NO in step S121), there is no significant change in the liquid film LF, so the drying process (step S107) is continuously executed. By doing so, it is possible to avoid being carried into the substrate processing unit 13A in a state where the liquid film LF is torn. That is, the substrate S can be transferred while the liquid film LF is stably maintained. In addition, also in this aspect, it is possible to omit the replenishment liquid nozzle 158 when it is carried out independently.
  • FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a fourth aspect of the transfer process. Also in FIG. 10, the same contents as those of the transfer process shown in FIG. 6 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.
  • the image of the liquid film is taken by the CCD camera 351 in step S201, the image is compared with the ideal image prepared in advance. That is, the difference between the captured image and the ideal image can be obtained (step S241).
  • the ideal image is an image corresponding to an ideal state in which the upper surface Sa of the substrate S is uniformly covered with a liquid film LF having a predetermined thickness.
  • This process is a process for verifying whether or not an appropriate liquid film LF is formed on the substrate S. That is, in the substrate S after the wet treatment, it may be difficult to form a uniform liquid film due to surface irregularities and changes in wettability as a result of the treatment. In particular, when the surface of the substrate after treatment has liquid repellency, it is difficult to support a uniform liquid film. In addition, an appropriate liquid film may not be formed from the beginning depending on the operation abnormality of the device configuration for forming the liquid film and the holding mode of the substrate S. By comparing the image of the substrate S immediately after the formation of the liquid film with the ideal image, such an abnormality can be detected immediately. Further, the liquid supply amount for forming the liquid film and the rotation speed of the substrate S may be adjusted based on the magnitude of the difference from the ideal image.
  • step S243 If there is a significant difference between the captured image and the ideal image (YES in step S242), the transfer process is stopped after an appropriate error process (step S243).
  • the content of the error processing is arbitrary, and for example, it is conceivable to notify the operator of the occurrence of an abnormality, display and output the image at this time, and the like. It is desirable that the processing on the substrate S in which the abnormality is detected is continued even if the processing is stopped.
  • step S2 If no abnormality is detected (NO in step S242), the transfer process after step S202 is executed using the captured image as a reference image.
  • the transfer process of the first aspect is executed, but the process of the second or third aspect may be executed.
  • a plurality of reference amounts may be set for the magnitude of the difference between the image captured by the CCD camera 157 and the reference image, and the subsequent processing may be changed depending on the magnitude of the difference.
  • the process shown in FIG. 10 may be partially modified as follows.
  • the liquid film LF is imaged by the CCD camera 351 in the processing chamber 110 at a plurality of different times between the time when the liquid film LF is formed on the substrate S and the time when the transfer is started.
  • liquid replenishment or appropriate error handling step S243. I do.
  • the images of a plurality of liquid films captured at different times from the formation of the liquid film LF on the substrate S to the end of the transfer are compared, and the result is obtained. Subsequent transport operations are determined accordingly. Therefore, the fluctuation of the liquid film due to vibration or volatilization during transportation can be detected without delay, and the transportation operation can be changed according to the situation. By doing so, in the present embodiment, it is possible to transport the substrate in a state where the liquid film is stably formed on the surface. As a result, it is possible to prevent the substrate surface from being exposed due to vibration during transportation, volatilization of the liquid, or the like.
  • the substrate processing unit 11A or the like which is a wet processing unit functions as the "first processing unit” of the present invention
  • the substrate processing unit 13A or the like which is a drying processing unit of the present invention. It functions as a "second processing unit”.
  • the center robot 15 functions as the "transport mechanism” of the present invention.
  • the processing chamber 110 functions as the "processing chamber” of the present invention.
  • the hand 155 functions as the "holding member” of the present invention.
  • the CCD cameras 157 and 351 function as the “second camera” and the “first camera” of the present invention, respectively, and these constitute the “imaging unit” of the present invention.
  • the replenisher liquid nozzle 158 functions as the "liquid supply mechanism” of the present invention.
  • the control unit 90 functions as the "control unit” of the present invention.
  • the image of the liquid film captured by the camera 351 immediately after the formation of the liquid film corresponds to the "pre-transport image" referred to in the present invention.
  • the substrate processing unit 11A, the substrate processing unit 13A, and the center robot 15 corresponding to the "first processing unit", the "second processing unit", and the "conveying mechanism" of the present invention are contained in one housing. It is housed in the box and constitutes an integrated processing system.
  • the present invention is also applicable to a processing system having a first processing unit and a second processing unit provided independently of each other and a transport mechanism for transporting a substrate between them.
  • the image of the liquid film captured by the CCD camera 351 in the processing chamber 110 is used as the reference image, but the reference image is not limited to this.
  • an image captured by the CCD camera 157 at the initial stage of transportation may be used as a reference image.
  • the CCD camera 351 in the processing chamber 110 is unnecessary for the purpose of observing the state of the liquid film during transportation.
  • the CCD camera 157 is configured to move integrally with the hand 155, the positional relationship between the substrate S held by the hand 155 and the CCD camera 157 does not change at each stage during transportation. According to such a configuration, mutual alignment is not required in comparison between images, and the accuracy of difference calculation can be further improved.
  • the CCD camera 157 is attached to the center robot 15 that moves together with the substrate S when the substrate S is conveyed.
  • the substrate S to be transported may be imaged by a camera fixedly provided at a position where the transport path of the substrate S can be seen.
  • the substrate S provided with a fine pattern it is not permissible to expose the surface of the substrate even for a short time in order to prevent the pattern from collapsing. Therefore, in this case, it is preferable to arrange a plurality of cameras on the transport path so that the liquid film transported together with the substrate S can be imaged at short time intervals.
  • a mechanism for making the camera follow the movement of the substrate S may be provided.
  • center robot 15 may be further provided with a configuration for receiving and collecting the liquid falling from the substrate S being conveyed.
  • the first processing unit forms a liquid film on the substrate in the processing chamber, and the imaging unit is in the processing chamber. It may be configured to have a first camera provided. According to such a configuration, it is possible to take an image of the liquid film immediately after formation, and for example, it is possible to evaluate the state of the liquid film after that with reference to the liquid film contained in this image.
  • the transport mechanism may have a holding member for holding the substrate
  • the imaging unit may have a second camera provided in the transport mechanism and moving together with the holding member.
  • control unit may differ in the time required for transportation from the first processing unit to the second processing unit depending on whether the difference obtained from a plurality of images exceeds a predetermined reference amount or not.
  • causes of change in the liquid film include vibration during transportation, sudden acceleration / deceleration, volatilization of liquid components, etc., and it may be possible to suppress the change in the liquid film by changing the transfer speed.
  • the transport mechanism has a liquid supply mechanism that supplies liquid to the substrate to be transported, and the control unit supplies the substrate to the liquid supply mechanism when the difference obtained from a plurality of images exceeds a predetermined reference amount. It may be configured to supply the liquid to the device. According to such a configuration, by replenishing the liquid constituting the liquid film as needed, it is possible to continue the transfer while maintaining the liquid film on the substrate. In particular, when the liquid film is made of a highly volatile material, the decrease in the thickness of the liquid film due to volatilization during transportation may cause the exposure of the substrate surface. This problem can be solved by providing a mechanism for replenishing the liquid in the transport portion.
  • the control unit causes the transport mechanism to return the substrate to the first processing unit, and the first processing unit reshaps the liquid film. It may be configured to allow. According to such a configuration, since the liquid film is reshaped in the first processing unit having the configuration necessary for forming the liquid film, it is not necessary to separately provide a configuration for replenishing the liquid during transportation. , It is possible to prevent the liquid film from breaking during transportation.
  • the liquid constituting the liquid film may be an organic solvent
  • the second processing unit may be configured to perform supercritical drying treatment on the substrate. Since the supercritical drying process is carried out under high pressure, a dedicated high pressure environment is required. In addition, parts that can withstand high pressure need to be used. Therefore, it is realistic that the wet treatment is performed in a place different from the wet treatment that can be performed under normal pressure. In such a case, it is necessary to transport the substrate after the wet treatment, but by applying the present invention, it is possible to transport the substrate without exposing the surface of the substrate. From the viewpoint of affinity with supercritical fluid, it is preferable to use an organic solvent for forming a liquid film, but a highly volatile organic solvent is easily lost during transportation. By observing the state of the liquid film by applying the present invention, it is possible to carry the substrate while reliably covering the surface of the substrate with the liquid film even in such a case.
  • the plurality of images may include a pre-transfer image captured before the substrate is started to be transferred by the transfer mechanism.
  • the control unit can determine whether or not to start the transfer of the substrate by the transfer mechanism based on the difference between the ideal image corresponding to the substrate in which the liquid film is ideally supported and the image before transfer. .. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the substrate from being transported without being covered with an appropriate liquid film.
  • the present invention can be applied to a general substrate processing technique in which a substrate is transported between processing units that execute different processes with the substrate surface covered with a liquid film. For example, it is suitable for a process of drying a substrate after a wet process by a supercritical drying process.
  • Substrate processing device 11A Wet processing unit, substrate processing unit (first processing unit) 13A Drying processing unit, substrate processing unit (second processing unit) 15 Center robot (conveyance mechanism) 90 Control unit (control unit) 110 Processing chamber (chamber) 130 High pressure chamber 155 Hand (holding member) 157 CCD camera (imaging unit, second camera) 351 CCD camera (imaging unit, first camera) 158 Replenisher liquid nozzle (liquid supply mechanism) LF liquid film S substrate

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